Does everybody know what time it is? Texas Tech basketball does, and it means more defense

STILLWATER, Okla. — Flipping the calendar over to March means plenty for teams throughout the country.

For the Texas Tech basketball team, it means getting better on the defensive end.

With the continued absence of 7-foot center Warren Washington to anchor the middle of the floor, the Red Raiders have had to adjust by relying on Robert Jennings and Eemeli Yalaho, much younger, smaller players to hold their own against the opponents' best interior forces.

Doing that requires adjustments, which can take some time. Yalaho especially hadn't played very much until Washington went down with his foot injury — missing five of the last six games — and now he's being asked to do more than just step up. Texas Tech needs him to man up.

But Yalaho, and Jennings, don't have to do it alone. Grant McCasland said after Tuesday's 75-58 win over Oklahoma State that the Red Raiders have altered their defensive approach with those two patrolling the paint. Digging deeper on post touches, swatting at the ball and scrambling harder to make up for lapses are the order of the day.

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The victory in Gallagher-Iba Arena picked up where Texas Tech (21-9, 10-7) left off in Morgantown. The Red Raiders overcame a 16-point deficit in the first half against West Virginia for an 11-point victory on Saturday. That carried over three days later with the likes of Joe Toussaint (six assists) and Darrion Williams finishing with five steals apiece by deflecting pass after pass, dribble after dribble to make for a long day for the home team.

"It's March," Pop Isaacs, who had 19 points and five assists, said of Tech's last two games. "It's go time. That's been our biggest mindset. We had a slow start at West Virginia, which was unacceptable. I think ever since about the 10-minute mark at West Virginia, we've had a different mindset as a team. We've been more locked in and we know what's at stake."

McCasland acknowledged Tuesday that changing a team's identity and tendencies this time of the year is a big ask, but the Red Raiders don't have a choice. When Washington does come back, they'll still need to rely on Jennings and Yalaho in the postseason, which will surely include at least one game in the NCAA Tournament run.

In a sick cosmic way, Washington's absence may be a blessing in disguise. McCasland has hoped for a deeper team throughout the season, and with him on the sidelines, it's forced his hand in playing Jennings and Yalaho even more than usual.

"Not a lot of teams improve in March," McCasland said. "A lot of teams are just trying to figure out a way to manage what they're doing. There's been a real emphasis on how do we get better and defensively is really the play.

McCasland said without Washington, Texas Tech's positioning, effort, physicality, rotations and ball-screen coverages all have to improve. Over the last game and a half, each of those areas have been firmed up, leading to two important road victories.

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With their active-hands defensive approach, the Red Raiders came up with a season-high 13 steals, holding Oklahoma State to 37% overall and 21% from 3-point range. That defensive effort also led to 21 points off of 17 Cowboy turnovers.

After the game, OSU head coach Mike Boynton praised Darrion Williams as Texas Tech's X-factor.

"It's kind of a mismatch," Boynton said of Williams, "in terms of do you put a big on him? Do you put a guard on him? He can take you into the post. He can step out and make 3s. Really good player."

Even after Williams' 18-point, nine-rebound effort, continuing his stellar play in Big 12 action, all Williams wanted to focus on was the defense.

He, too, knows what's required in March. Anybody not committed to that end isn't welcomed to take the floor.

"It's March," Williams said, echoing Isaacs. "It can come to an end quick if we don't pick it back up. We know what we have to do."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech basketball knows success in March requires more power